Penelopes Wedding Page 4

  After waiting outside Penelope's room for fifteen minutes, trying his best to conceal his feeling of delirious ecstasy, the door opens and Penelope emerges smiling, and places her arm through her father's arm, and arm in arm they walk down the passage towards the sitting room.

  Debra and little Jennifer emerge from the room next, and follow Penelope and Lord Montgomery down the passage.

  As Lord Montgomery and Penelope walk into the sitting room, Lady Montgomery, arms outstretched in front of her, greets her daughter. "You look lovely Pen'. Quite a picture". Lady Montgomery can't help but notice someone else. "You seem to be very cheerful this morning Monty".

  "And why shouldn't I be? It's not every day that a father gets to see his only daughter get married. Now is it". He smiles slightly awkwardly. It was a rhetorical statement, and he doesn't expect an answer.

  Fortunately for him, Lady Montgomery doesn't respond, determined not to argue on her daughter's wedding day. Lady Montgomery turns her attention to Debra and Jennifer. "How lovely you both look".

  They all sit waiting in the sitting room for thirty minutes, until the sound of gravel stones being crushed under car tyres outside can be heard, signalling, that the wedding car, and the car which will take Lady Montgomery, Debra and cousin Jennifer to the church, have arrived.

  Lord Montgomery walks Penelope out of Montgomery Hall and towards the front car parked on the driveway. The chauffeur opens the door and assists Penelope to clamber inside. Then Lord Montgomery climbs inside and sits next to her.

  Lady Montgomery and the bridesmaids climb into the second car.

  The remaining estate staff have formed a line near the entrance of Montgomery Hall, and as both cars drive slowly away, they cheer and wave as they watch the cars eventually disappear out of sight and drive down Sunny Dale Lane. Cook wipes her eyes with a handkerchief that Jeremy the butler has given her.

  CHAPTER 16

  The wedding cars are making their way slowly down Sunny Dale Lane towards the village church. Ribbons draped across the wedding car's bonnet are flapping with the breeze. If the windows were open, Penelope's nostrils would smell the aroma's of spring, coming from the apple blossom trees, which line the lane, and the sunflowers growing in the nearby farmer's fields.

  Lord Montgomery is for the first time in ages, extremely relaxed and in a jovial mood, as he chats to Penelope, trying to calm her nerves, which are obvious to him by the way she is fidgeting, and asking. "Is my hair okay, is it father, and my dress, is that okay"?

  "Everything is going to be fine". He grasps her hand and holds it tenderly. "There is nothing to concern yourself about. All the arrangements have been made". Little does she know that Lord Montgomery is thinking about Rodney being far away. "The sun is shining", he continues. "The apple blossom trees are in flower, which shows spring has well and truly arrived". He pats Penelope's hand, reassuringly.

  But Penelope is more concerned about Troy coming to the wedding, than spring arriving, and worried what Rodney might say when he discovers she was married to Troy. On top of this worry, she hasn't given the vicar's wife her correct name, and has no idea what will happen about that. But she manages a false smile every time her father glances at her, which is quite a lot on this short journey. So she is relieved when the brakes are applied and the car stops outside the village church, a few minutes early.

  Lord Montgomery waits for the chauffeur to open the door, before stepping outside onto the pavement. He turns his attention to Penelope and guides her out of the car.

  The sun has disappeared behind a grey cloud casting shadows over the church. Mary the vicar's wife is stood at the church's wooden entrance door, signalling to someone inside.

  Suddenly, music from the church organ begins to resonate around the church, and drift through the church entrance door and make its way down the path to where Lord Montgomery is escorting Penelope up the path towards the church.

  Lord Montgomery's steps are noticeably laboured, and the smile on his face has vanished and changed to a confused gaze. He enters the church and sees a red carpet in front of him and the altar at the end of the red carpet, where Richard Finley and John the best man are standing. Lord Montgomery doesn't notice the guests peering over their shoulders at Penelope. All he can see is a sickly smile staring mockingly back at him. Lord Montgomery gasps, and feels a pain plant itself deep in the pit of his stomach. His head is hurting with impossible thoughts colliding with unsolvable answers. Sweat coats his brow and under his armpits. He watches Penelope's eyes meet Rodney's.

  Guests smile. Some hold back a tear, Lady Montgomery being one of them.

  John the best man reaches into his coat pocket and feels two little cases, each with a ring inside.

  "Who gives the bride away"? The vicar looks at Lord Montgomery.

  There is a long pause, as a thousand guest's eyes turn towards Lord Montgomery, and the vicar waits patiently.

  Lord Montgomery doesn't know if he's dreaming, or having a nightmare, until he glances at Lady Montgomery and sees her acid glare urging him to say something. "I do" he mumbles, his hand trembling, as he let's go of Penelope's hand, his eyes watering as he turns and sits next to Lady Montgomery.

  CHAPTER 17

  Penelope glances nervously to her right, but is unable to look Rodney in the eyes; she fakes a pleasant smile and fidgets with her flower bouquet. Her insides are churning. She knows she should have talked to Rodney about being married to and divorced from Troy, and after that, she had fallen for him on the rebound. And she's not sure what the vicar or his wife will think when they discover she has given them a false name. But she knows it's too late to tell them now. She is just going to have to bluff her way through the ceremony.

  Rodney rubs his wrist where the rope marks still show and a grimace appears across his face.

  Jack, the gamekeeper and his mate look bewildered. They had tied Rodney to a tree in what they thought was a deserted wood. But little did they know how wrong they were because the wood is often used; by people walking their dogs.

  Lord Montgomery frowns and wonders, how did Rodney escape and make it to the church on time? He looks towards where Jack the gamekeeper is sitting and jesters with his hands hoping for some sort of an answer.

  But Jack the gamekeeper just shrugs his shoulders and frowns, non the wiser how Rodney did it.

  Penelope wonders has Troy come? She hopes he has. She has noticed the strange rope marks around Rodney's wrists, and the way he keeps rubbing them. She's seen the dirt in his fingernails, and his dirty worn shoes, and his creased and dirty suit, and she is starting to wonder what she has got herself into. Her stare is pained. Her mouth is dry. Her gaze darts around the church, her eyes swivelling from side to side as she tries to find Troy. But it's impossible to see whether he is here, or not. She needs to move her head, but that would make it obvious she is looking for someone, and she can't do that whilst the vicar keeps talking.

  "We are gathered here today in God's place of worship, to bring together in holy wedlock, this man, Rodney Johnson". The vicar looks at Rodney. "And this woman, Penelope, Kelly, Montgomery". The vicar looks at Penelope.

  Penelope breaths a sigh of relief, having realised the irony of her married surname, Kelly, which is also a Christian name, and gathering by the relaxed smile on Rodney's face, and the faces of all the guests, she thinks no-one appears to have suspected anything is wrong.

  The wind rustles ferociously through the cemetery outside, and shakes the flowers and trees to test their resilience. Lightning flashes, a loud crack of thunder roars from the sky, forcing worried eyes to peer searchingly out through the stained glass windows, whilst they hold their breath in hope that rain won't follow and spoil the day.

  Lord Montgomery doesn't give a damn if the whole country and all the houses built upon it flood, because his heart is already flooded with such excruciating unhappiness, and it couldn't be more noticeable, than if it was written in bold letters all over his face. He racks his depleted brain
for an answer to his questions. What can I do now to stop this wedding? Even if I try to object, what can I object to? Lord Montgomery is starting to feel sick. His face has turned a strange colour, nearly as grey as the sky is, as he faces the worst day of his life. He knows the marriage is a mistake, and that Rodney will leave her, when it suits him. He also knows, Rodney will sue her for half of her inheritance, which means, he will take half of Montgomery Hall estate with him, and he only has seconds to prevent it.

  CHAPTER 18

  The vicar continues with his sermon, "marriage is a holy agreement, conducted in the presence of God, and should therefore not be entered into lightly". He casts his glaring eyes out towards his audience and scans the church from left to the right and from front to the back. "Before I join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, does anyone know of any reason why this marriage should not proceed"?

  Mutterings rebound from every corner of the church and combine into a single hum.

  The vicar's eyes rise slightly. His brow creases. "Does anyone have any objections"?

  "I do". The two short words echo around the church.

  Everyone turns immediately to see a stranger; a mysterious woman dressed in black, walking down the red carpet towards the altar. The woman is thick set and stocky, middle aged, her hair is tied in a ponytail, and her face has obviously aged beyond its years. The woman stops a few feet short of the alter, her legs are planted wide, her jaw is lifted up slightly, her close set eyes are firmly fixed on the bewildered people in front of her. "The groom is not who he says he is" says the woman in black. "His name is not Rodney Johnson. His real name is Rodney Parker. I am his parole officer. He has violated his parole, and I must take him into custody". The parole officer turns to face Penelope. "I thought you ought to know".

  Shocked guests gasp. The chatter of conversation now fills the church to the rafters like a swarm of bees. Some guests seem to be happy, whereas others are definitely confused.

  Rodney's eyes flit left and right repeatedly, looking for an escape route. He sees two men dressed in black posted by the exit door. His heartbeat races. His face turns ashen white. He shivers uncontrollably.

  Lord Montgomery's brain has awoken from its miserable sleep, bringing a huge grin to his face, which he quickly subdues when he realises people are looking at him strangely.

  Debra, gives a quiet sigh of relief, and thinks, I knew it was a mistake. Jennifer, the other bridesmaid is too young to know what is happening.

  Penelope turns to face the front and shouts. "Can I have some quiet please".

  The church descends into a sudden deathly silence, as all the guest's eyes focus on the altar.

  Penelope turns to face Rodney. She glares at him with crazed eyes. Her face is red. She thumps her finger into his chest and yells. "Is this true? What the lady has just said". She doesn't wait for an answer. The fact that Rodney can't look her in the eyes, and is lost for words, tells her everything she needs to know. She sneers at him, and rolls her eyes. "Well, all I can is, it's good riddance to bad rubbish". She shrugs her shoulders, turns, and storms down the red carpet, out of the church and into the rain, and doesn't stop until she is seated inside the waiting wedding car. "Take me to Montgomery Hall as fast as you can".

  The chauffeur's eyebrows raise, a frown appears on his brow, but he complies with Penelope's instruction and drives her to Montgomery Hall, as fast as he dare.

  The woman in black steps forward, removes a set of handcuffs from her belt, clasps one around Rodney's wrist, and the other around her own wrist. Then she marches Rodney down the red carpet to the exit door, where the two men dressed in black flank them as they all proceed to a black unmarked car parked on the road.

  Lord Montgomery stands. His eyes dance and sparkle, and he has a spring in his step as he walks briskly on the red carpet towards the exit door. He turns and looks at the guests, with that same sparkle in his eyes. "Anyone for a plentiful supply of free food waiting to be eaten at the village hall"?

  Lady Montgomery stands, eyebrows raised, and a frown on her brow as she says, "um, er, I suppose so", and follows her husband's lead, as does everyone else.

  CHAPTER 19

  In the village hall, the guests stand around trestle tables, suitably covered with tablecloths and an assortment of food. Lady Montgomery turns towards Stanley's wife. "Excellent food Barbara, good choice. It's a pity Penelope isn't here to enjoy it". Then Lady Montgomery turns to talk to Mable, the Women's Institute coordinator. "I suppose I will have to find another gardener now that Rodney can no longer do it. On another matter Mable, I have organised everything for your Women's Institute function at Montgomery Hall".

  Lord Montgomery is feeling vindicated that Rodney's dark side has finally been exposed, and happy he has been locked up, and he's glad that his daughter's marriage has finally been prevented.

  The guests seem to be happy too, tucking into a free feed, which is the reason why most have come along, if the truth was known.

  Jack, Lord Montgomery's gamekeeper, is pleased for Lord Montgomery, but baffled as to how Rodney managed to escape from his bondage, and make it to the church on time. He must have had help, he thinks, eating his third sausage roll.

  The vicar knew all along the wedding was a mistake, but he won't voice his opinions about the matter, other than to say to Mister Smith, a local farmer. "I don't condone what Rodney has done".

  The vicar's wife Mary is mingling with the crowd and doing her best to encourage people to come to the next church service.

  John, Rodney's best man, is spending most of his time talking to Debra, and it seems, Debra is enjoying his company, judging by the smile on her face, and the gleam in her eyes, which so far, has not shifted from John's handsome face.

  Meanwhile, back at the police station, Inspector Marshall has just received a call from the parole officer to inform him that she has arrested Rodney, and has him in the lockup. Inspector Marshall should be pleased, but he is concerned, because Rodney's photograph was in the police records all the time, albeit under another name, and he knows he should have checked this. He also knows that if this is leaked to the local newspaper, it could be quite embarrassing for him and damage his reputation.

  Penelope is sitting inside Montgomery Hall reflecting about the debacle in church earlier. "How could Rodney not tell me", she says out aloud? And then she thinks about Troy, and how she worried about not telling Rodney about him, and she gives a slight smile when she sees the irony of this.

  The telephone rings and breaks her thoughts.

  "Hello Pen'. It's Debra. I thought I would ring and see how you are"?

  "I'm fine," says Penelope.

  "Do you want to hear my news. I'll tell you. You know John the best man. Well, he's just asked me out on a date" says Debra.

  "That's great Deb'. I'm very happy for you".

  "I could come around if you wish", says Debra.

  "No, really. Thanks. I'll be fine. Thanks for ringing" says Penelope.

  So, it seems the story is told. Most people are happy, except for Rodney, who is in the prison lockup, awaiting his next court appearance, which will most likely see him go to prison for quite a while. Debra has done her best to console Penelope, and Penelope, well; she should recover in time.

  After Penelope and Debra hang up the phone, Penelope sits alone staring at the sitting room wall, when she hears a knock at the door. She walks slowly out of the room, down the passage towards the front entrance and opens the door. She lifts her head, and her eyes meet a perfect set of aqua blue eyes, and the angelic smile she thought she would never see again. Her heart misses a beat. For the first time in ages, she is speechless.

  "Do you mind if I come in for a while"? Troy looks at her.

  Penelope is speechless, and shaking. She leaves the door open, turns and walks nervously back down the passage, certain she can feel Troy's warm gaze on the back of her neck, as she steps cagily into the sitting room.

  Troy follows her, like a shado
w, and as he reaches the sitting room, he carefully removes a colourful scented bouquet of flowers that he had concealed behind his back and offers them to Penelope. "I thought you might need cheering up".

  The first sign of a smile appears on Penelope's face.

  "You know, sometimes things happen for the best", says Troy.

  "Yes, I know", says Penelope, trying to appear cheerful.

  "I just wanted to give you the flowers. I'll be going then", says Troy.

  "No. Stay for a while. I'd like you to stay. Stay for dinner. I'm starving", pleads Penelope, suddenly so much happier now than she has been for a long time.

  "I'd like that. I'd like that very much", says Troy, with a smile.

  Penelope leans towards him, and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

  Penelope goes to the kitchen, looks in the refrigerator and screws her face up. She returns to the sitting room with two glasses of wine, gives one glass to Troy, looks into his eyes, smiles, and lifts her glass of wine. "Here's to the future".

  Troy takes a sip from his own glass and pulls Penelope towards him into his warm embrace. "Here's to the future", he says, as he leans forward until their lips meet.

  A shiver races down Penelope's spine, sending her entire body into a spasm, annihilating any memories she might have had of Rodney in an instant. A thought registers in her brain. "Let's go to the village hall and join the others. The car's outside, and it would be a shame to waste all that lovely food".

  By the time they reach the village hall, they are beaming with delight. They've made a decision, which they share with everybody the moment they step inside the crowded village hall.

  "We are getting married".

  THE END

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